Chronicle of Higher Education Event on Student Engagement Draws Record Attendance
InsideTrack and the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) Share the Podium
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, November 26, 2007 — InsideTrack today reported record attendance at two important online events that the company co-hosted this month on Student Engagement and Retention. The first event, hosted November 7th by the Consortium for Student Retention and Data Exchange (CSRDE), recorded more than 550 registrants. The second event, hosted November 13th by the Chronicle of Higher Education, attracted more than 1,000 registrants, the highest number of registrants for an online event hosted by the publication.
The Chronicle of Higher Education event included speakers Dr. George Kuh, founder and director of the National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE), and Kai Drekmeier, President and co-founder of InsideTrack. Coincidentally, NSSE gained national attention the week of November 5th in USA Today and elsewhere after publicly releasing results and conclusions from its 2007 student survey.
Dr. Kuh presented "Student Engagement Strategies: What's Working and Why" and Kai Drekmeier, presented "Student Coaching - a Promising New Practice for Student Success." The full recorded presentations can be found at www.insidetrack.com.
Creating a supportive learning environment is one of five benchmarks that the NSSE measures. In its just released 2007 survey "Experiences That Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success" the NSSE reports that meeting with an advisor at least twice a year and receiving guidance and feedback from faculty are among the most important factors promoting student engagement and satisfaction.
"Student engagement is being recognized as a key driver for student success by leaders in all sectors of higher education," says Joseph McFadden, Vice President at InsideTrack. "Fostering greater student engagement is what makes InsideTrack's approach to student success so effective. Coaches meet weekly with students to help them formulate specific goals for the term, track progress against their goals, and help them identify and overcome obstacles to achieving their goals. It's our focus on goal achievement that drives students to success outcomes and ultimately a sense of accomplishment and persistence. Coaches also motivate students to engage more actively in every aspect of their educational experience — getting involved with campus organizations, reaching out for academic support, or developing stronger bonds with other students and faculty.
"We're delighted to have been part of these events," says McFadden. "We're clearly seeing a dramatic rise in awareness around student engagement and retention as issues that require immediate attention. The high turnout for these events is one indicator of the increased interest to find real solutions to the problem."
About InsideTrack
InsideTrack's mission is to promote student engagement, persistence, retention and success. Since 2004, InsideTrack has coached more than 65,000 students at more than 40 campus locations throughout the country, enabling partner colleges to increase student retention, total enrollment, graduation rates and tuition revenue. To learn more about InsideTrack, visit www.insidetrack.com.
Press Contact: Hilary Dunst
212.316.3279
hdunst@hdmediany.com